Otto Olson (1858-1921)
Farsund, Norway |Baptism = March 21, 1858 Vanse parish, Farsund, Norway |Siblings = Peder Matias Olsen (1851-?) Sophia Marie Olsdatter (1852-?) Teodor Johan Olsen (1852-?) Josette Teresia Olsdatter (1855-?) Lena Elaine Olson (1860-1938) Salmine Sophia Severine Pedersen (1862-1914) |Death = Chicago, Illinois |Burial = Mount Olive Cemetery Chicago, Illinois |Father = Ole Mattias Pedersen (1820-1914) |Mother = Thea Johanne Torstensdatter (1825-1864) |Spouse = Hannah E. Hansen (1864-1936) |Marriage = Chicago, Illinois |Children = Tille Olson (1885-1918) Harry Oliver Olson (1887-1964) Mabel Olson (1890-1971) Norman Otto Olson (1895-1977) Helen Olive Olson (1900-1970) |2nd Spouse = |2nd Marriage = |3rd Spouse = |3rd Marriage = |4th Spouse = |4th Marriage = |5th Spouse = |5th Marriage = }} Otto Olson (1858-1921) aka Ottan Olsen; aka Otto Olsen; Emigrated from Norway to Chicago, Illinois in 1877 and worked as a Barber (b. February 09, 1858, Vanse parish, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway - d. April 12, 1921, 465 Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA) Parents *Ole Mattias Pedersen (1820-1914) *Thea Johanne Torstensdatter (1825-1864) who may have died in childbirth Baptism Otto was christened under the name "Otan Olesen" in Vanse parish on March 21, 1858. Siblings *Peder Matthias Olsen (1849-1896) aka Peter Matthew Olsen *Teodor Johan Olsen (1850) aka Theodore Johan Olsen *Sofie Marie Pedersen (1852-1924) who stayed in Norway and wrote Salmine in the United States *Josette Teresia Olsdatter (1855-?) aka Joletta Theresa Olsdatter *Lena Elaine Olson (1860-1938) who was born under the name Hannah Lina Olsdatter, and emigrated to Chicago in Illinois and married Andrew Havig Jensen (1861-1930) aka Andreas Jensen *Salmine Sophia Severine Pedersen (1862-1914) aka Salmine Sopie Olsdatter who married John Edward Winblad I (1856-1914) and emigrated to Manhattan in New York City and then moved to Jersey City, New Jersey and then moved to the Isle of Pines in Cuba and then died while visiting her family in Farsund in Norway *Adolph Martin Ludvig Olsen (1864) who died in childbirth when his mother died Death of mother Otto's mother, Thea, died at a young age and Ole raised the seven living children alone. Ole never remarried. Farsund, Norway The family was listed in the 1865 Norway Census living in Farsund. Emigration Otto emigrated to the United States in 1877 and he lived in Chicago and worked as a barber. He may have appeared in the 1880 US Census living in Praire Farm, Barron County, Wisconsin, or this may be another Otto Olson. Marriage On September 04, 1884, under the name "Ottan Olsen" he married Hannah E. Hansen (1864-1936) at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Chicago. Their marriage certificate was number "57254". Children *Tille Olson (1885-1918) who married Norval Wintrone (1890-1918) and they both died along with their child in the influenza pandemic of 1918. *Harry Oliver Olson (1887-1964) who served as a Lieutenant in World War I, married a French woman named Germaine X (1900-1920) who died after two years of marriage in San Francisco, and they had no children. *Mabel Olson (1890-1971) who married Jesse Garrett Clay (1888-1976) and had one child and four grandchildren. *Norman Otto Olson (1895-1977) who married Isabelle Wickman (1901-1931) and had one child and then Norman murdered Isabelle in 1931, by shooting her while intoxicated. He then married Eva Folkert (1904-2000) from Germany and had three children. *Helen Olive Olson (1900-1970) who married John Lozinski (1896-1980) and after a divorce married Frank Kirpichoff (1891-1965). Barber Otto was listed in the 1880-1890 Chicago City Directory as a barber, working or living at 183 Milwaukee Avenue. Trip to Norway In 1897 Otto was visiting his family in Norway. On August 20, 1897 he left from Kristiansand to return to Chicago and he was listed as a barber on the ship's manifest. Chicago, Illinois In 1900 Otto and Hannah were living at 167 Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago and appear in the 1900 United States Census. Postcard Otto wrote a postcard to his sister, Salmine, and her husband John Winblad on December 25, 1908 and it read as follows: "Mr. John Winblad, 437 Wayne Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, We thank our God, that we're not homeless this Christmas, in snow and storm and slush. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your affectionate brother, Otto Olson". The postcard was postmarked from Chicago, Illinois. This postcard began the search for Otto's descendents. Coal Dealer In the 1910 Chicago City Directory Otto was listed as a coal dealer working at 452 North Union; and as a barber at 465 Milwaukee Avenue, while living at 465 Milwaukee Avenue for both entries. The coal business appears to have not lasted long. Death of Sister His sister Salmine, died of a heart attack on December 18, 1914 while she was visiting Farsund. Chicago, Illinois In 1917 Otto was again listed in the Chicago City Directory as a barber living and working at 465 Milwaukee Avenue. Death Otto died in 1921 of "chronic disease of the heart with chronic nephritis" while he was living at 465 Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. Otto's death certificate incorrectly lists his birth year as "1857". It is listed as 1858 in his baptism record at Vanse parish in Farsund, Norway. Burial He was buried in Mount Olive Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois. Widow Hannah died on April 24, 1936 and was buried next to him on April 27, 1936. Research Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) on September 25, 2003: "The hunt for Otto began with the translation of the postcard from the collection of Maria Elizabeth Winblad II (1895-1987). David Kettlewell from the Internet translated it for me from Norwegian. It read "from your affectionate brother, Otto Olson" and it was addressed to "Mr. John Winblad" who was Salmine's husband and it was postmarked in Chicago, Illinois. I posted the translation on the Internet and someone wrote to me that they looked up Otto's marriage certificate to Hannah Hansen. I was skeptical. Then he looked up the death certificate and sure enough, it said "born in Farsund, Norway to Ole Pedersen". Next I found Otto and Hannah in the 1900 United States Census and that gave the children's names and then they were found in the Social Security Death Index. The Internet man got the obituary for me for Harry Olson, the son, and it mentioned the other siblings and a sister, Mabel who married a Clay. I looked up Mabel Clay in the Social Security Death Index and it listed the town she died as Rockford, Illinois. There were 38 Clays in Rockford and I chose one to call: "David George Clay" and he was the correct one. I called on September 25, 2003 which was my birthday." Legacy There are four extant lines descending from Otto: Tille; Mabel; Norman; and Helen. Otto also had a sister, Lena living in Chicago, but the families drifted apart after Otto's death, so that by 2003 only Hazel Wintrone (1916- ) remembered the Jensen side of the family in Chicago. On June 19, 2004, Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) visited Dorothy Lozinski (1920- ) in Chicago. Dorothy is a grand-daughter of Otto. Otto had two cousins that came over from Farsund: Jakob E. Willumsen (1853-1928) who settled in Minnesota; and Inga Pedersen (1885-1927) who married Emil Schneider (c1880-1955) and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. Jacob Willumsen left his children behind in the US and returned to Norway after his wife died. There is a photo of him and one of his barber shop, but they may have been lost when they were send out to be used in a family video. External links *Otto Olson (1858-1921) at Findagrave *Otto Olson (1858-1921) at Geni Images Image:Olson-Otto barber 01a.jpg|1900-1920 circa in Chicago Image:Pedersen-Ole Thea children.gif|1858 birth Image:URN NBN no-a1450-kb20060102010128.jpg|1858 birth in Vanse churchbook Image:1865 census Pedersen Torstendatter.gif|1865 census in Norway Image:7864173 1063423874.gif|1884 marriage File:1887 USCityDirectoriesBeta 431919426.jpg|1887 directory working as a barber Image:Olson-Otto 1898 emigration.gif|1897 trip back to Norway Image:1900 census Hansen Olson Chicago.jpg|1900 census in Chicago Image:1910 census Olson Hansen.jpg|1910 census in Chicago Image:Olson-Otto barber 01a.jpg|1900-1920 circa in Chicago Image:Olson-Otto 01.jpg|1908 postcard from Otto Olson (1858-1921) in Chicago, Illinois to John Edward Winblad I (1856-1914) in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1908 Image:Olson-Otto death.gif|1921 death certificate Ancestors Category: Non-SMW people articles Category: Baptisms at Vanse church, Farsund, Norway Category: Migrants from Norway to Illinois Category: Died in Chicago Category: Deaths at age 77 Category: Burials at Mount Olive Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois